Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has named his 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup. The primary talking points will be the decision to go with just two scrumhalves in Conor Murray and Eoin Reddan with 22-year-old New Ross native Tadhg Furlong, who made his senior debut against Wales at the Aviva stadium last Saturday, confirmed as one of the five props.
Andrew Trimble, Felix Jones, Marty Moore, Dave Kilcoyne and Isaac Boss are some of the disappointed players, their candidature compromised by injury or the structure within the squad. Several countries including Australia and Japan have opted for two scrumhalves, so Schmidt is not alone in his line of thinking.
Ulster centre Darren Cave is the most obvious beneficiary of that choice as the Irish coach prefers greater depth in the three quarter line, especially in the light of knocks sustained by Keith Earls and Luke Fitzgerald last weekend.
It’s likely that Cave will understudy Robbie Henshaw at inside centre while the Ulsterman is even more familiar with the other midfield role, having worn the number 13 jersey for most of his career. Schmidt had already signaled a 17-14 split in terms of forwards and backs.
The New Zealander has opted to include all his game-breakers in the three quarter line. Dave Kearney thoroughly justified his inclusion. Tommy Bowe’s form has flat-lined a little recently but there is no doubting his class; he warrants his place.
Cian Healy’s remarkable recovery allied to the form of the excellent Jack McGrath nailed down the two loosehead spots. Nathan White brings experience in backing up Mike Ross on the other side while Furlong is a player of huge promise and it’ll be interesting to see if he is asked to cover both sides of the scrum. Kilcoyne has done nothing wrong and must be considered unlucky, while Marty Moore is equally unfortunate as his injury issues saw him run out of time.
Schmidt has recognised the versatility of several players in choosing those players who can cover the back five positions in the pack. The one area of minor concern arose from Ireland’s travails at the breakdown against Wales last weekend, where Justin Tipuric enjoyed a massive influence.
Paul O'Connell, Ireland's most capped player (103) in the squad, will captain the group. There are 17 who will make their Rugby World Cup debuts at the tournament: Darren Cave, Luke Fitzgerald, Tadhg Furlong, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, Robbie Henshaw, Paddy Jackson, Dave Kearney, Ian Madigan, Jack McGrath, Jordi Murphy, Peter O'Mahony, Jared Payne, Richardt Strauss, Devin Toner, Nathan White and Simon Zebo.
Schmidt admitted: “The players have worked incredibly hard over the past two months. Sunday was a difficult and very long day for the coaching team and an anxious one for many players. There were some very tight decisions, particularly in the back three and it was also a challenge to make sure that key positions were covered as much as a squad of 31 players allows.
“A number of players were very unlucky to miss selection. We know from observing past World Cups that it’s important for us to keep track of their performances because some of them are likely to be involved in the tournament.”
Ireland are in Pool D alongside Canada, Romania, Italy and France. Ireland’s first game of the tournament comes against the Canadians at the Millennium Stadium Cardiff on Saturday 19th September.
The Irish squad will host an open training session at the RDS next Tuesday ahead of travelling to the tournament the following week. Details of how to access tickets for this will be confirmed in the next few days.
IRELAND WORLD CUP SQUAD
FORWARDS (17)
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster, 84 caps): A leader for Ireland in every respect, especially strong in the scrum and over the ball.
Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster, 45 caps): His lines of running and speed in the loose make him a brilliant asset in open play.
Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster, 1 cap): His talent has shone like a beacon from his time as an underage international: strong in the scrum and mobile to boot.
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster, 51 caps): His remarkable recovery powers are once again in evidence. Brilliant, rampaging ball carrier and more than a handful for any tighthead prop.
Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster, 74 caps): His consistent excellence in every facet of the game singles him out as one of Ireland's outstanding players.
Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster, 19 caps): Saturday's performance against Wales showcased what a wonderful athlete he is; potentially one of the stars of the tournament.
Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster, 18 caps): The most recent Welsh match was a reminder how crucial the breakdown battle is and the Ulsterman excels in that environment.
Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster, 19 caps): In Healy's absence he has picked up the baton with impressive maturity and effectiveness.
Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster, 12 caps): He has demonstrated the ability to absorb lessons and be better for them; athletic and diligent.
Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster, 36 caps): A key player for Ireland and a primary ball carrier, if he's prominent then Ireland will be going well.
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster, captain, 103 caps): He demands nothing of others that he's not prepared to offer himself: Ireland's talismanic leader.
Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster, 31 caps): Unapologetically abrasive in a singular focus to sacrifice everything for the team; a warrior.
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster, 51 caps): The cornerstone of Ireland's scrum and a key individual in the team's blueprint for success: sneakily effective in other areas of the game.
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster, 30 caps): He's demonstrated great character to get back from injury, bringing a huge work rate and lineout presence.
Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster, 9 caps): A human dynamo, his ability over the ball at rucks, pace in covering the pitch allows him to regularly turnover possession.
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster, 26 caps): He sometimes get pigeonholed for his lineout ability alone but supplements that with the less glamorous duties.
Nathan White (Connacht, 2 caps): The consensus is that he drives standards and is an excellent team player.
BACKS (14)
Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster, 62 caps): His form has flatlined a little of late but that's primarily attributable to not being given many opportunities, ball-in-hand: a class act.
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster, 9 caps): He deserves his place. He possesses the vision to put others in space and runs intelligent lines in support.
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster, 41 caps): Between injuries the development in his game has been appreciable; a player with game-breaking qualities.
Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster, 30 caps): Ireland need to create space for him to exploit with his slashing footwork and pace.
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht, 11 caps): He has become one of Ireland's most important players despite his tender years; searching for a little more nuance to go with huge talent.
Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster, 12 caps): Just needs to find that consistency of performance at test level: a fine footballer.
David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster, 9 caps): He's strong, direct, aggressively physical in defence, and can step off both feet.
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster, 63 caps): Superb in the air, most Ireland supporters would like to see him as a more influential presence in attack.
Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster, 20 caps): Impressively versatile he's proved that he can run a game to Joe Schmidt's satisfaction.
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster, 36 caps): He's matured into one of the best scrumhalves in world rugby technically and tactically.
Jared Payne (Ulster, 7 caps): In the maelstrom of a match he exudes a calm presence and invariably chooses the right option for the betterment of his team.
Eoin Reddan (Old Crescent/Leinster, 63 caps): He represents Ireland's metronome in raising the tempo, allowing his side to play a quick, expansive game.
Jonathan Sexton (St Mary's College/Leinster, 52 caps): The conductor of the orchestra and the player who demands excellence from himself and those around him.
Simon Zebo (Cork Con/Munster, 17 caps): A player capable of changing a match with a swivel of the hips and sharp acceleration.
